When I was young, I remember seeing West Indian great Conrad Hunte in a game in Rajshahi in the late 70s or early 80s. I believe he came with some MCC touring team. Can someone refresh my aging memory?

[Edited on 20-5-2004 by Zunaid]

Beamer

May 20, 2004, 01:16 PM

dr.z
you are right. he did come with MCC in early eighties, I believe. It was sometime in the winter as I was in rajshahi as well during my families annual winter trip to 'desher bari'.

Tintin

May 20, 2004, 01:17 PM

From a reinausagi post :

My uncle is Shabu Pathan. Played with Azad Boys in early 70's, then migrated to Toronto. I did watch some of the early BD greats like Yusuf Babu (Heck of a hard-hitting opening bat), Jehangir Shah Badshah (pretty good medium pacer/decent middle order bat). I was also impressed by the play of the Wicket-keeper Shafiqul Hoq Heera, and fast medium Dipu Roy Chowdry. Dipu Chowdry tossed in a rare bouncer at a visiting Deccan (HYdrabad Blues) team caesing them to dust off their helmets. They had not anticipated a BD bowlers capable of generatin g a viscous beaner. It was the small victories we lived for in the early days. They played against the MCC touring teams containing Conrad Hunte/John Hampshire, early SL teams containing Warnapura, Tennekoon, Roy Dias and one or more of the perennial De Silva brothers, and acquitted themselves well enough.

Zunaid

May 20, 2004, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by Beamer
dr.z
you are right. he did come with MCC in early eighties, I believe. It was sometime in the winter as I was in rajshahi as well during my families annual winter trip to 'desher bari'.

yes, yes - i was on vaction to BD and was visiting some relatives in Rajshahi. If you were at the game, we may have actually crossed paths :)

btw, my fupa i was visiting lived near the "kalpana" cinema hall.

Beamer

May 20, 2004, 01:52 PM

maybe we did, who knows!
'kalpana' cinema hall ..aye. Not far off from my grandparents. they are in nearby shirol area, minutes away from a rickshaw ride to the new market or the stadium.

Zobair

May 20, 2004, 02:19 PM

Lately I have been feeling like an old-timer. What with graduation, starting grad school, and being called a boro bhai by these fresh undergraduates :( But now thanks to Dr.Z an beamer I feel young again. After I was not even born then. Or even if I was, my preoccupations didnot include cricket. Don't know how this is related to Mr. Hunte, but I thought I would share. :embaressed:

Beamer

May 20, 2004, 02:29 PM

thanks pompous! now I feel really great! but anyway..enjoy your time under the sun.

Zunaid

May 20, 2004, 02:40 PM

One can only enjoy life after a certain age - I look back at these young uns and think - little do they know...

chinaman

May 20, 2004, 02:58 PM

Don't remember any particular name but probably I first came to know of MCC and it's history at that time from the newspapers. Mostly following India, Pakistan and West Indies (Australia who? at that time. Besides, it was kinda football era, remember the "Asio Jubo Football" and Haris Muhammed?

Cricket46

May 20, 2004, 03:02 PM

I had seen most of these matches that were held at the Dhaka stadium. The first MCC team might have visited Bangladesh around 1977 or so. The criteria for selection into an MCC team bound for Bangladesh were: you had to have a "bhuri" and you would have to have a “happy face” all the time. They also included some young fast bowlers from the minor counties in England. It was picnic cricket, but the home team players really tried very hard to create an impression.

Such was my interest in Bangladesh cricket, that I used to watch the game the whole day and then tune into BBC at 6:45 pm Dhaka time to listen to Sports round-up. You know why? Just to find out if they mentioned our players names. Sometimes they did. That was enough in those days. I still remember the tune leading to the program.

Tintin mentioned names of some of the better players then. Heera was a fantastic wicketkeeper. Yusuf Babu was probably the most attractive batsman, and he could bowl as well. Rumi was another elegant batsman. The best bowler of that time probably was Lintu ( a friend of mine). He was a left arm spinner. I think I mentioned this one time on this board, that he also stood first in the SSC exams.

Navarene

May 20, 2004, 03:19 PM

Rumi was another elegant batsman. The best bowler of that time probably was Lintu ( a friend of mine). He was a left arm spinner. I think I mentioned this one time on this board, that he also stood first in the SSC exams.

Was Rumi not an allrounder? In fact he was more effective as a decent off break bowler than his bat. I remember Lintu wearing thick glasses and I often wondered how could a cricketer play with glasses on. One other batsman I was fond of, that is Rafiq(forgot his full name). He served our national team for quite a long time.

oracle

May 20, 2004, 03:19 PM

it WAS the football era

I distinctly remember my older cousins mocking my uncle for going to these matches to watch of all things, cricket? And there I was furious and expecting to be taken to a Brothers match during the school break. How things change!

Cricket46

May 20, 2004, 03:35 PM

Originally posted by Navarene

Rumi was another elegant batsman. The best bowler of that time probably was Lintu ( a friend of mine). He was a left arm spinner. I think I mentioned this one time on this board, that he also stood first in the SSC exams.

Was Rumi not an allrounder? In fact he was more effective as a decent off break bowler than his bat. I remember Lintu wearing thick glasses and I often wondered how could a cricketer play with glasses on. One other batsman I was fond of, that is Rafiq(forgot his full name). He served our national team for quite a long time.

Yes, you are right, Rumi used to bowl as well. But he was predominantly a batsman. I think he was into band music or something as well. That Rafiq is Rafiqul Alam. He was a little bulky as well.

Now to Chinaman: Where was this Harris Mohammad from? Where else but Iraq!! Iraq had a very decent football team at that time.

say

May 20, 2004, 03:44 PM

http://www.weekendcricket.com/theteams/millennium.htm

http://www.weekendcricket.com/theteams.htm

Zunaid

May 20, 2004, 04:08 PM

Originally posted by Cricket46
That Rafiq is Rafiqul Alam. He was a little bulky as well.

I remember Rafiq - very stout. I believe during the first Asia Cup in Dhaka - he was greeted by two bouncers from Imran Khan. The third ball he dispatched very handily to the boundary. A cracker of a shot - he had some beef in his arms.

I believe during this same time or was it earlier - a practice/benefit match involving Pakistan and some othet team became a farce where they had their Physio Irani (Nasser Irani?) coming into bowl. Pi**ed me off no end - I gave good money to watch good cricket.

Much later, a couple of my colleagues at BUET played the First Division league for Azad Boys during the time they had Smarasekara and some other Lankans playing for them. Used to watch them practice often at the BUET cricket grounds.

Zunaid

May 20, 2004, 04:09 PM

should i rename this thread to old foagies meeeting ground?

chinaman

May 20, 2004, 04:16 PM

Yeah you could do that. This thread may open up many 'zadur bakshau'!

reinausagi

May 20, 2004, 04:37 PM

Don't remember any particular name but probably I first came to know of MCC and it's history at that time from the newspapers. Mostly following India, Pakistan and West Indies (Australia who? at that time. Besides, it was kinda football era, remember the "Asio Jubo Football" and Haris Muhammed?

Not a bad memory Chinaman. Asia Jubo football was held in 1978 in Dhaka. In the first 'national' team victory in football, BD defeated YEMEN by 1-0 through a goal by Hasan from BJMC (league champs in 1979) Haris did play for Iraq. Back then, their big rival was Iran (and they were fighting a war against them on and off). Old fogey signing off:lol:

Rubu

May 20, 2004, 04:42 PM

reina, are u a robot? i mean roboti? how can someone remembers small details of something so long time ago? its possible only for those who has "copotron" (ask ja4 iqbal for the meaning) instead of a brain.

[Edited on 20-5-2004 by AgentSmith]

Cricket46

May 20, 2004, 04:54 PM

I may be wrong, but I think during that Asian Youth Soccer tournament Bangladesh saw the flood lights for the first time. It was so nice to see sports being played at night.

mahbubH

May 20, 2004, 05:03 PM

I can only remember from the match between BD selection and MCC:

(i) Hunt was run out (or stamped ) by Hira (who was also captain of the side)
(ii) There is another MCC player Jamson who was bit fat but very popular among the crowd
(iii) Rajshahi crowd love the BD fast bowler Jiaul Islam Masud but for some reasona did not like Raqibul!

Zunaid

May 20, 2004, 05:05 PM

Speaking of Haris (off topic now), he was very popular with the ladies. There was a picture in the front pages of most of the national dailies where a deshi female fan was kissing Harris (could have been another Iraqi player, but it was an Iraqi player) - caused quite a lot of tongue wagging amongst the prudes.

Does anyone remember our goalie who after a particularly good night, having staved off numerous goals, made the front pages with the headline "chumbuker haat".

say

May 20, 2004, 06:16 PM

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/as-u19-78.html

chinaman

May 20, 2004, 06:33 PM

Originally posted by Zunaid
Does anyone remember our goalie who after a particularly good night, having staved off numerous goals, made the front pages with the headline "chumbuker haat".

How do I forget that one handed save? Name Mohsin? Speaking of saves, remember the Indoneshian goalkeeper, Ednang Tirtana against the Iraqis?

And, the kissy kissy thing, saw it in the newpaper, made me wonder if bengali girls could do things publicly that could only be seen in one section of Bichitra.

Rubu

May 20, 2004, 06:36 PM

now i understand the meaning of all these. ah, senior citizen's day is coming ;)

Zunaid

May 20, 2004, 07:29 PM

Originally posted by AgentSmith
now i understand the meaning of all these. ah, senior citizen's day is coming ;)

go back to your room, sonny .. the grown ups are talking :)

Optimist

May 20, 2004, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by Cricket46
Tintin mentioned names of some of the better players then. Heera was a fantastic wicketkeeper. Yusuf Babu was probably the most attractive batsman, and he could bowl as well. Rumi was another elegant batsman. The best bowler of that time probably was Lintu ( a friend of mine). He was a left arm spinner. I think I mentioned this one time on this board, that he also stood first in the SSC exams.
Oh this brings back so many memories!! Shamim Kabir was the captain in the Dhaka match. Nazrul kader Lintu (if I remember correctly) probably took 4 wickets! Remember Doulotuzzaman the opening bowler (He died recently)? I used to collect paper cutting! I wish I still had them!

Optimist

May 20, 2004, 09:57 PM

Anybody remembers Warnapura, Tenecum, Kaluperuma? Those were the days before Srilanka gained test status! Warnapura hit so many sixes that Police personel in a near by Barrack though they were under attack!! They used to beat us within two days!! God we have come a long way!!

reverse_swing

May 20, 2004, 11:17 PM

Originally posted by chinaman

How do I forget that one handed save? Name Mohsin?

He played for Mohamedan that time.

[Edited on 21-5-2004 by reverse_swing]

mahbubH

May 21, 2004, 02:34 AM

Originally posted by reverse_swing
Originally posted by chinaman

How do I forget that one handed save? Name Mohsin?

He played for Mohamedan that time.

[Edited on 21-5-2004 by reverse_swing]
I think Mohsin now lives in US... I think he was the second best goalkeeper (after shantoo) BD ever produced

Cricket46

May 21, 2004, 01:39 PM

Originally posted by Optimist
Anybody remembers Warnapura, Tenecum, Kaluperuma? Those were the days before Srilanka gained test status! Warnapura hit so many sixes that Police personel in a near by Barrack though they were under attack!! They used to beat us within two days!! God we have come a long way!!

Sri Lankan batting even in those days was very attractive. Add Dilip Mendis, Roy Dias to that list. Besides, Sri Lanka was bent upon impressing the ICC. Impress they did, but it took a long while. They were far too strong for Bangladesh. Even in the first World Cup they batted gallantly against Lillee and Thompson. They gave India a real hard time. I forgot if they beat India, but India in those days did not know how to play limited over matches. The first World cup matches were 60 overs a side. In one of the matches Gavaskar batted the entire 60 overs and scored 38 not out. That is from my memory, so the statistics may not be exactly right. However, Gavaskar was a terrific test player.

reverse_swing

May 21, 2004, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by Cricket46
In one of the matches Gavaskar batted the entire 60 overs and scored 38 not out.

In fact in that match he scored 36* against England.

[Edited on 22-5-2004 by reverse_swing]

Tintin

May 22, 2004, 12:54 AM

They gave India a real hard time. I forgot if they beat India, but India in those days did not know how to play limited over matches.

They did. By 38 runs in 1979 world cup. Infact, India did not win a match against Sri Lanka in world cups till 1999.

Tehsin

May 22, 2004, 01:43 AM

I was gonna join in but looks like I haveto wait a little bit. I know i am old (not really) but I still need to wait a lil bit to be able to join in this conversations.

By the way, I was into football. Didn't get into cricket until my late teens (what was I thinking?). I was one of those who used to make fun of cricket and look at me now. Now that's irony.

I think the first world cup I (vaguely) remember was 1987. The one Australia won. I was prolly rooting for England but I wanted Pakistan to win it. My heroes were Gavaskar and Imran khan. It was prolly more because of image than anything (even though both were really good players).